Chile’s Tabilo stuns top-ranked Djokovic

Alejandro Tabilo of Chile upset world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-3 to move into the fourth round of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome on Sunday.

Djokovic, who has won six times in Rome, had just 14 winners against 12 unforced errors in the 68-minute match. Eight of those winners came on aces, and he also had five double faults and his serve broken four times.

It was the first time Tabilo, the 29th seed in Rome, had played the top-seeded Serbian. He didn’t face a break point.

“It’s incredible,” the 26-year-old Tabilo said. “I came on court just looking around, just trying to soak it all in and trying to process everything. I’m just trying to wake up right now.”

Tabilo became the first Chilean to defeat a world No. 1 since 2007 when Fernando Gonzalez beat Roger Federer at the 2007 Nitto ATP Finals round robin.

“I was just trying to keep my nerves in, trying to keep swinging,” Tabilo said. “Obviously every time you feel like you are closer to the end, your arms start to get a little tighter and you start to swing shorter, so I was just trying to not think about it and take it point by point.

“It’s crazy. I can’t believe what just happened.” Tabilo took control of the match at the outset, breaking Djokovic twice to jump to a 4-0 lead. In the second set, Djokovic double-faulted twice in the opening game to give Tabilo an early break point that he never relinquished.

Tabilo’s fourth-round opponent will be Russia’s Karen Khachanov, the 16th seed, who ousted 20th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina 6-2, 6-4.